Roland Harwood

As we wait for more detail from national government on how they intend to mobilise a missions-driven approach to national challenges, this blog from Nick Kimber and team on applying missions thinking at the level of a place (Camden), including fostering cultural and behavioural change, provides valuable insight. So important that we recognise that this isn't about setting up committees of the great and good and then pretty much operating in BAU mode.

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The civil service needs start-up energy—but can Collective Intelligence deliver it? The announcement from the UK government about injecting start-up culture into the civil service, could be a bold and exciting opportunity. Here’s the challenge: start-ups thrive on agility, experimentation, and grassroots problem-solving. Meanwhile, the civil service is built for accountability, regulation, and structure. These values don’t naturally align. But what if we could bridge the gap by turning to Collective Intelligence—a distributed approach to decision-making and problem-solving that reflects the brightest ideas of a network rather than a single centralised authority? Three insights for the UK government: 1️⃣ Stop centralising decision-making. Start-up culture is agile precisely because it empowers a diversity of voices across teams. By adopting an agentic, decentralised approach—where AI agents or citizen crowds contribute insights—the civil service could innovate much faster while still operating within its accountability frameworks. 2️⃣ Tap the wisdom of the crowd. Imagine policy drafts iterated not just by a few senior advisors but refined by experts across sectors, impacted communities, and even generative AI agents trained on relevant data. Collective Intelligence tools can synthesise these inputs, ensuring inclusivity while maintaining high-quality outcomes. 3️⃣ Reward experimentation. Start-ups embrace failure as a learning opportunity—an approach unthinkable in traditional government settings. Collective systems (e.g., cross-departmental sandboxes powered by AI agents) allow iterative testing without risking public trust or resources. As someone who’s worked on digital transformation in highly regulated sectors, here’s the truth: the civil service doesn’t need more bureaucracy cloaked as innovation. It needs systems and cultures that allow problems to be reframed collaboratively, using diverse perspectives and intelligent tools. Can the government unlock this shift? Tell me: What specific Collective Intelligence practices do you think could accelerate this transformation? #CollectiveIntelligence #Whitespace #AI #Agentic #StartUpCulture #CivilServiceInnovation #UKPolicy #GenerativeAI

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This article is a long read but well summarised by Ben Williamson and if you are interested in public services in the UK you should read it anyway

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🚍 𝘿𝙚𝙗𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙈𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝘼𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙮𝙨𝙞𝙨: 𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙋𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙘 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝘽𝙚 𝙁𝙧𝙚𝙚? 🌍 Welcome to our inaugural episode of the 𝙒𝙚𝙚𝙠𝙡𝙮 𝙎𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨: 𝘿𝙚𝙗𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙈𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝘼𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙮𝙨𝙞𝙨. In this episode, we dive deep into a pertinent and timely debate: "𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙃𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙒𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙘 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚." Join us as we explore the multifaceted implications of this motion from economic, environmental, and social perspectives. 📖𝙂𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙏𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝙃𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨: 𝙀𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙘 𝘽𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙩𝙨: Stimulating local economies and alleviating financial burdens on low-income families. 𝙀𝙣𝙫𝙞𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝘼𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙨: Reducing traffic congestion and promoting sustainable urban development. 📖𝙊𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙏𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙨: 𝙃𝙞𝙜𝙝 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝘾𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙨: The significant expense to governments and taxpayers. 𝙎𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙌𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮: Potential declines in the quality of public transport services. 𝙀𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙮 𝙄𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙚𝙨: Risks of inefficiency and misuse of free services. We also tackle key questions from both sides, exploring potential impacts and solutions, and analyze the critical clashes that define this debate. For professionals and enthusiasts in public policy, environmental sustainability, and social equity, this episode provides valuable insights into the ongoing discussion about free public transport. 👉 𝙒𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙚𝙥𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙙𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚: https://lnkd.in/gZpw48si Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share your thoughts in the comments below! #PublicTransport #Sustainability #Debate #PolicyAnalysis #EconomicImpact #EnvironmentalSustainability #SocialEquity #UrbanDevelopment

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In today's Orbit Policy's Deep Dive newsletter I write about how we need a more nuanced conversation about regulation and how it can enable innovation not just be a barrier to it. There is some interesting stuff happening in the UK on that front that is worth paying attention to. Plus I highlight some other interesting reads including Kyle Briggs's work on university tech transfer, Senator Colin Deacon's discussion paper on business innovation programs, and Dan Ciuriak and Laurent Carbonneau's recent op-ed on using procurement to support innovation. I hope you enjoy!

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Great to see the Global Innovation Index 2024 Report published! 📊 While the UK slipped from 4th to 5th in global innovation rankings, there are strong positives to highlight: 🌟 Strengths: The UK excels in Market Sophistication and Creative Outputs, with high performance in venture capital and unicorn valuations.  🔧 Areas for Improvement: Challenges include policy stability, STEM talent, and infrastructure—especially in low-carbon energy and ICT use. Read the full report below: https://lnkd.in/eAyphw6g #Innovation #UKInnovation #GlobalInnovationIndex #STEM

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The impact of AI continues - an interesting & somewhat concerning article from BBC News: "Electricity grids creak as AI demands soar. Data centre electricity needs are forecast to double between 2022 and 2026." Mhairi Aitken Ethics Fellows at the The Alan Turing Institute discussed this exact topic last October when she took part in a panel discussion at Learning Live Networks. Mhairi is a founding member of the AI Learning Collective whose purpose is to foster a culture of collaboration where experts in Learning and Development, AI & Ethics unite to shape the future of AI in our industry. Links to the article, Explore AI and The AI Learning Collective are in the comments below. #LearningLiveNetworks #AIinLearning #learningleaders #AI

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#data UK Govt has published a green paper on the industrial strategy (see page 33) Questions: 1. How can UK govt use data to support delivery of the Industrial Strategy?  2. What challenges/barriers to sharing or accessing data could UK govt remove to help improve business operations and decision-making? https://lnkd.in/e5A-bc_8

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🚀 Refreshing the UK’s AI Strategy: On 7 October, the ai@cam Policy Lab, hosted by Neil Lawrence and Jessica Montgomery, gathered leading voices in research and policy to explore revitalizing the UK’s approach to AI. This pivotal workshop in Cambridge revisited the National AI Strategy first set out in 2021—before the transformative rise of tools like ChatGPT and the proliferation of powerful open-source LLMs, marking an era of rapid evolution in the AI landscape. 👥 At the heart of this initiative was a public dialogue where key insights surfaced on how AI can responsibly enhance public services and improve the lives of those on the receiving end of this technology. Overarching public aspirations and concerns highlighted AI’s potential to drive Mission delivery, with calls for successful AI applications to demonstrate clear benefits: reducing burdens on overstretched services, preserving human interaction, and ensuring equitable access across all communities. Key findings: 1️⃣ Empowering Public Services: AI offers the powerful potential to streamline administrative tasks in healthcare, education, and justice, freeing up front-line workers to focus on more human-centred roles. 2️⃣ AI as a Co-Pilot, Not a Replacement: Public input emphasized AI’s value as a supportive tool for human decision-makers, enabling expertise to flourish while preserving accountability. 3️⃣ Accelerating Processes for Better Outcomes: AI can enhance data sharing and processing, resulting in faster, higher-quality service delivery across sectors. 4️⃣ The Need for Safeguards: Concerns center on ensuring digital inclusion, preventing algorithmic bias, and preserving human touchpoints in critical interactions. 📅 It was an honour to take part in the Policy Lab session and gain valuable insights into how these discussions are shaping a renewed vision for AI in UK public services. For a deeper dive into these discussions and insights, I encourage you to download the full report (see below) and join us in shaping a future where AI serves public benefit responsibly and effectively, bridging the gap between potential and our ability to deploy. Thank you to all participants for contributing to this collaborative effort toward making the UK a global leader in AI!

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AI is already proving to be a critical enabler in helping to tackle the climate and nature crises. And, in some cases, the power use for AI is much lower than the traditional computing that it replaces – for example, in energy-intensive advanced climate models. Meanwhile, AI can unlock significant decarbonization opportunities. In the built environment, it can help enable the shift away from polluting materials such as concrete, reduce the carbon impact of energy and transport systems, and support the reuse and repurposing of existing buildings. #climatetech #AI #climate

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🚀 London Tech Week is back! 🌟 Join me for a week of innovation, investment, and inspiration. With 90+ countries represented and a brand new venue at Olympia, this is where the tech ecosystem meets and does business. Don't miss out on being one step ahead! 💡 If you are around let's catch up! #LondonTechWeek #LTW #LTW2024 #SGBI #SastraRobotics #robotics #testingautomation #robottesting #HMI Informa Tech

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#DigitalCommonwealth 😆😆#MansionHouse Summit in #London - what a great day!! Thanks James Bowater and Darren Parkin. Here are the key takeaways: Keynote Highlight: #JamesFiero from #EcoCapacityExchange presented a groundbreaking approach to value exchange. He introduced a system that allows people to exchange not just money, but various forms of value, revolutionizing traditional economic transactions and fostering a more inclusive economy. #Tokenization of #RealWorldAssets: Antony Abell from #TPXPropertyExchange discussed the tokenization of real estate assets, providing a new way for individuals to invest in property through digital tokens. This method increases accessibility and liquidity in the real estate market. William Ralston Saul from Jade City showcased their innovative project of tokenizing jade from Kazakhstan. This approach not only preserves the value of this precious resource but also opens up new investment opportunities in the gemstone market. Tokenization of assets is emerging as a hot topic and a game-changer in various industries. #AI in #Gaming: I had the pleasure of participating in a panel with Amit Pradhan from #Rainfall, Simon Barry from #NoBioticsAI, and Robby Yung from #Animoca Brands. We explored how AI is transforming the gaming industry, from enhancing player experiences to improving game design and development processes. It was fascinating to hear about the innovative ways these companies are integrating AI to create more immersive and intelligent gaming environments. The event provided a comprehensive overview of critical topics in the #blockchain and AI sectors. We explored advances in #cybersecurity, ensuring that #digitalassets and transactions remain secure. Discussions on #stablecoins highlighted their growing importance in providing a reliable means of exchange within the volatile cryptocurrency market. Additionally, new projects were showcased, demonstrating the continuous evolution and innovation within the industry.

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Jonathan Birch on the edge cases of sentience and why they matter | Podcast In today’s episode, host Luisa Rodriguez speaks to Dr Jonathan Birch — philosophy professor at the London School of Economics — about his new book, The Edge of Sentience: Risk and Precaution in Humans, Other Animals, and AI. (Check out the free PDF version!) They cover: Candidates for sentience — such as humans with consciousness disorders, foetuses, neural organoids, invertebrates, and AIs. Humanity’s history of acting as if we’re sure that such beings are incapable of having subjective experiences — and why Jonathan thinks that that certainty is completely unjustified. Chilling tales about overconfident policies that probably caused significant suffering for decades. How policymakers can act ethically given real uncertainty. Whether simulating the brain of the roundworm C. elegans or Drosophila (aka fruit flies) would create minds equally sentient to the biological versions. How new technologies like brain organoids could replace animal testing, and how big the risk is that they could be sentient too. Why Jonathan is so excited about citizens’ assemblies. Jonathan’s conversation with the Dalai Lama about whether insects are sentient. And plenty more. 👉 https://lnkd.in/dyeTabiy #machinelearning

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🧠 As I reflect on the 'Jagged Edge' article below, it's clear that integrating AI into our workstreams will be a (maybe THE) key differentiator for knowledge workers in the years to come. For those who don't do this, I'm reminded of a quote by Eric Hoffer: 'In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.' At Ethos Veterinary Health, we're exploring the use of AI to personalize learning pathways for veterinary team members. How are you using AI in your work? Share your experiences and insights! #AI #FutureOfWork #LifelongLearning https://lnkd.in/eHcfPX6r

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https://lnkd.in/ec_qpp5m An Edinburgh event on AI and Social Innovation. "Part of The Melting Pot's Spring - Summer AI & Social Innovation events series, join the discussion on the safety of AI and its future."

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✨ Shaping the Future of Digital Identity in the UK ✨ Thank you to Biometric Update for capturing my key points and the organisers Westminster Forum Projects for the opportunity to contribute to this important discussion. https://lnkd.in/ez8WZSii 💡 Key points I shared on the UK’s digital ID future: 1️⃣ UK focus should be on unlocking #economic #growth by building a robust digital ID infrastructure that #reduces #fraud, #streamlines #services, and #fosters #trust in #digital #transactions. Important lessons can be learned from other countries 2️⃣ User-centric solutions should prioritise privacy, trust, and accessibility for all citizens. The potential of Digital ID #wallets and #VerifiableCredentials is huge 3️⃣ The need for #interoperability to enable seamless use across public and private sectors... as well as across borders and particularly with the #EU 4️⃣ A balanced approach to innovation, backed by #strong #governance and #regulatory #frameworks to ensure #security and #fairness. The UK is at a pivotal moment in shaping its digital identity landscape, and collaboration between stakeholders will be crucial. What do you think are the biggest opportunities or challenges for the UK’s digital ID future? Tony Blair Institute for Global Change #DigitalIdentity #UKInnovation #EconomicGrowth #Trust #Collaboration

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In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, C-suite executives face the dual challenge of managing resistance to digital transformation while fostering a culture that embraces technological innovation. Organisations that cultivate digital curiosity consistently outperform their peers, yet instilling this mindset within resistant teams demands nuanced leadership focused on engagement and empowerment. I had the opportunity to discuss these challenges in a recent interview with The European Business Review, where we explored strategies to shift organisational culture towards a digitally innovative environment. #digitallycurious #leadership #interview #futurist #curiosity #StayCurious

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This week I had the pleasure of being on a panel for University of Cambridge SUPTECH Lab with Puneet Rao and Carlos León   We spoke about Navigating User-Centric Design and Agile Integration for Future-Ready Solutions. The conversation brought out a few areas of particular interest. Because the three of us on the panel work with different parts of modernizations (future-ready solutions) and we looked at human centred design as a tool differently. Puneet’s organization delivers technology solutions for public sector organizations and he looked to HCD to support solving problems. Carlos has spent a lot of time working in banking and I think we were looking at HCD more from a problem definition tool perspective as well. Human centered design / design thinking is a great tool for both problem definition and finding solutions, especially in complex environments.    We had some great questions like how to handle pushback from the people doing the work currently…whose processes, roles and technology you will likely be changing. One of the panelists highlighted the pushback is sometimes because the people doing the work right now feel that they are doing it in the right way at the moment. He also followed up with how he reframes it as augmenting and enhancing their work – not replacing it. This is a challenge in many organizations – how do you deal with push back.     I appreciated the experience of looking at digital transformation and using human centered design from different perspectives. I always enjoy learning about how to bring in the richness of human perspective to solve complex challenges. The discussion was part of their Leading Transformation : Product & Organizational Innovation program.    Thank you to Cambridege for the invitation and Juliet Ongwae, PhD  for moderating the panel.  

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